Card file



April 30, 1929- w. H. SHORTLIDGE 1 CARD FILE Filed June 22, 1927 mrv'l.205 3 -win W... 1} 5 :1

\IZ: 11 i 72a 20 2o. 5 9 W NJE AR Patented Apr. 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARD

Application filed June 22,

More particularly myinvent-ion relates to that character of card fileswherein the cards are arranged inoverlapping relation in a tray whichfrequently arranged to be employed as a drawer.

Among the novel features characteristicof my invention are thefollowing.

The pro vision of improved means whereby the cards may be inserted intoand removed from the tray.

The provision of improved means whereby individual cards may be insertedinto their proper places in a series of cards already mounted on thetray without dislodging the other cards of the series, and likewisewhereby individual cards may be conveniently re moved from the tray.

The provision of new and improved means for laterally olt'settingindividual cards relative to the main body of cards in theseries withoutmoving them relative to their carriers.

The provision of means whereby individual cards may be disposedvertically to the main body of the cards.

The provision of improved means for mounting the cards on their carrierbars so that they can be readily attached thereto or removed therefrom.

Other novel features of construction, and

also of arrangement of parts will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated the bestembodiment of the principles of my invention, Fig. 1 is a plan viewshowing a series of index cards mounted in a tray; Fig. 2 is a front endview of the same: Fig. is a longitudinal section of the samebut alsoshowing one of the cards disposed in a substantially vertical position;Fig it is an enlarged detail in section taken along the line lV--IV inFig. 1 and showing one of the ournal clips mounted in the tray; llig. aperspective of one of the journal clips en'iploycd at one side of thetrayythe left side in Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a similar view of one of theclips employed at the other side of the tray; Fig. 7 is a detail showinga pair of. opposed journal clips, illustrated in section, with a.carrier bar mounted thereon and arm nged for the vertical disposal ofits card; Fi 8 is a fragmentary detail showing the bar arranged fordisposing the card in its FILE.

1927. Serial NO. 200,649.

oifset position; Fig. 9 isa similar view showing the carrier bararranged for disposing the card in its normal position wherein it isalined with the remaining cards of the series, F1 10 is a plan viewshowing a modified form of carrier bar; Fig. 11 is an elevation or edgeview of the same; Fig. 12 is a view in crosssection of the carrier barillustrated in Fig. 7, and Fig. 13 is a broken elevation of one of theindex cards showing its lower portion perforated for mounting on thecarrierbar illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11. r 1

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 9, inclusive,

1 is the tray, which, as has already been stated,

is usually employed as a drawer, and which preferably has a continuousbottom. The lat eral edges of the tray lare provided with the verticalflanges 2 whose upper edges are turned inwardly and downwardly to form adownwardly opening groove 3.

Along the bottom of the tray 1 adjacent to each of its side flanges 2 isfixed, as by riveting or soldering, a metal strip 4 whose outer edge isspaced slightly from the flange of the tray and bent upwardly to formwith the flange an upwardly opening groove 5.

6 and 6 represent the two types of ournal clips in use, the clips 6beingemployed at the left side of the tray as shown in Fig. 1 and theclips 6 at the right side of the tray. These clips are made by cuttingand bending up a strip of somewhat resilient metal to form a box bodyopen at the rear side and having upwardly and downwardly disposedtongues 7 and 8, respectively. The clips are putin position bycompressing them so that the tongues 7 and 8 may be slipped into thegrooves 3 and 5 and then the clips are allowed to expand. thus holdingthe clips in position at the sides of the trays. The top walls of theclips may be provided withholes 9 so that a pencil point or other toolmay be used to compress the clips and thus disengage them from theirseats in the grooves 3 and 5.

The clips 6 are provided in the front faces with holes 10 ofsubstantially the inverted key-hole shape shown in Fig. 5, the slottedor narrow portion being above. The clips 6 are provided with the ovalholes 11 with their longer axes vertical. a

The preferred form of carrier bars is shown at 12. being a relativelynar1.'ow,flat strip of metal which is preferably non-flexible. At

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one end said bar is provided with a reduced portion 13 of sutlicientwidth to be both slidably and rota tably held in the hole 11 of the clip6. The other end has a head 14 of the full width of the body of the bar,and between the head and the body of the bar a reduced portion or neck15 which when vertically disposed will slide longitudinally in the holeof the clip 6 but will not turn therein. At each end of the portion areprovided a pair of opposed notches 16 and 16 respectively, the neck ofmetal between the members of each pair being suliiciently narrow topermit the bar 12 to rotate when the notches are engaged with the wallsof the lower or circular portion of the hole 10 in the clip 6. Theportion 13 of the bar 12 is also provided with a notch 17 which ispositioned to engage the wall of the hole 11 when the portion 15 ot theother end of the bar is engaged in the hole 10 and the bar is on edge. 1

An outer corner of the head 1 1 is beveled as at 14 to facilitatemounting of the clips 6 thereon.

Secured to the bar 12 are the card clips 18 which may be formed by apiece of doubledover spring metal soldered or otherwise secured to oneof the flat. faces of the bar 12. The clips 18 extend in the oppositedircction, relative to the bar 12, from the notch 17, and the cards 19are mounted on their carrier bars by having their top edges slipped downinto the clips 18.

In Figs. 10 and 11 I show a modified means of attachment of the card toits carrier bar. Thus the her 12 h provided with a plurality of cut-outand bentout tongues, such as three, 20, 20 and 20, the first two facingin the same direction while the remaining one, one of the end tongues,faces in the opposite direction. The card 19, indicated in dotted linesin Fig. 10, is provided. with vertical. cuts 21 and 21 near its upperedge. and the card is first slid from right to leftin Fig. 10 to engagethe cuts 521 and 9.1 with the tongues 20 and 2t) and the lelt end of thecard is then bent in to engage the end oil? the card under the tongue20", and the card then released. To remove the card. it bent to firstdisengage the end oi? the card from the tongue 20 and then slid "fromleft to right to disengage the cuts from the other tongues.

In Fig. 7 I show two spring clips 22, shorter than the clips 18 andpreferably mounted on the opposite side of the carrier bar. These clips22 are intended for such purposes as to hold a narrow label card on thebar so that when the card 19 is removed, its proper carrier bar will bedesignated to indicate that the corresponding card has been. removed.

If desired cut-out tongues like 20., 20 and 20* may be formed in thecarrier bar for the same purposes.

In Fig. 9 the relation between the end of the carrier bar 12 and thelett-hand clip 6, when the cards are in their normal and alinedposition, is illustrated, the inner pair oi": notches 1G registerii'igwith the hole 10 in the clip 6, and the bar being free to rotaterelative to the clips 6 and 6 so that the card may be turner down intoits normal overlapped relation to the other wards or it may be turned upand back to expose the card or :ards below.

The vertically elongated shape of the hole 11 enables the bars to risesutliciently to cause the cards to lie flat on eaeh other.

In Fig. 8 the carrier bar shown shifted to bring the notches 16 into reration with the hole 10, thus laterally oiise 'ing the card mounted onthe bar relative to the other cart s, as illustrated at 19 in Fig. 1.

In F 7 the carrier bar shown shifted into a position wherein the per ion15 ot' the bar engages the hole 10. As this portion 01 the bar is ofsuch width as to extend up into the slotted upper portion of the hole10, thus holding the bar on edge, the corresponding card is thus heldvertical, as illustrated at 19 in Fig. 3. The notch 17 in the other endof the bar so located that it may be engaged with the hole 11 in theclip 6 to hold the bar against accidental longitudinal. i'uoveinentwhile the card is elevated at 19*.

The bar may readily be shifted longitudinally by first turning the barand card up vertically and raising the bar so that the notches thereinare disengaged from. the cl ips.

The advantages of being able to oll'set one or more of the cardsrelative to the remainder is recognized in posting or other work. Theadvantage oi ele 'atinp; one or more of the cards is also apparent inthat it enables a card which may be required for retercnce to be placedin a conspicuous and convenient,

. "tion relaire to the irther wards.

ll heu a. card is to be inserted, on the tray, the clips are firstplaced on its ends and they are then coingn'essed and moved outwardly onthe bar and sprung in to position as illustrated. When a. card is to beremoved with its carrier bar. the point of a pencil or a suit able toolis inserted in the holes 9 oi the clips to compress them so that theyare readily released from the tray and slid inwardly on the liars toclear the l'lano'es ot the trav.

it desired the cards may he plurm'l on or when oil the bars while thelatter are mounted in the tray.

The use of the clips in which the ends of: the bars are engaged. greatly:lacilitates the insertion of the bars into the tray and their removaltherefrom. It also enables a card to be conveniently inserted in placeor removed therefrom between cards already mounted on the tray.

he insertion and removal oi. the cords does not involve the bending ofthe carrier lilt) bars and the same may be of stitl material, and thusdo not become crooked or distorted thereby preventing the cards fromlying flat and interfering with their being swung up and down.

The cards may be individually oil'set without moving them relative totheir carrier bars, thus preventing wear on the cards or theiinpairn'ient of their attachment to their carrier bars.

lVha-t I desire to claim is 1. In a card file of the characterdescribed, the combination of a support, journal members detachablymounted in opposed pairs on said support, card-carrier bars having theirends slidable in said members. and means whereby when said bars are slidinto one position relative to said journal members said bars are heldagainst rotation and when said. bars are slid into another positionrelative to said journal members said bars are rotatable relative tosaid journal members.

2. In a card file of the character described, the combination of asupport having journals arranged in opposed pairs, card- *arrier barshaving their ends inserted in said journals and arranged for both rotaryand longitudinal sliding movement relative to said journals wherebyindividual cards may be oli'set from the remainder of the cards, andmeans for preventing accidental displacement of the cards from theirnormal and oil'- set positions.

In a card file of the character described. the combination of a support,a plurality of pairs of opposed journals on said support, andcard-carrier bars having their ends inserted in said journals andlongitudinally slidable therein. the ends of said bars and the journalsbeing shaped so that when in one position relative to said journals abar is rotatable in the corresponding journals but when in anotherposition said bar is held against rotation.

4. In a card file of the character described. the combination of asupport, a plurality of pairs of opposed. journals on said support, andcard-carrier bars having their ends in serted in said journals andlongitudinally slidable therein. the ends of said bars and the j onrualsbeing shaped so that when in either of two positions relative to thecorresponding journals a bar is rotatable therein but when in anintermediate position said bar is held against rotation.

55, In a card file of the character described having the combination ofa support, a plurality of pairs of opposed journal-openings, onejournalopening of a pair being nonround, and card-carrier bars havingtheir ends inserted in and slidable in said journal openings, said barshaving reduced portions which when engaging the non-round journalopenings permit the rotation of the bars and other portions which whenengaging said non-round journal openings prevent the rotation of saidbars.

6. In a card file of the character described having the combination of asupport, a plurality of pairs ofopposed jour'nahopenings,

onejournahopening of a pair being non round, and card-carrier barshaving their; ends inserted 1n and slldable in said )Olll'llttlopenings,said bars bG1IlgP1OVICIOd with spaced-apart reduced portions which whenengaged in said non-round journal-openings permit the bars to rotate andintermediate portions which when engaged in said journal-openingsprevent the rotation. of said bars, and means for preventinglongitudinal movement of a bar when its said intermediate portionengagesthe j ournal-openinq.

8. In a card file of the character described having the combination of asupport, a plurality of pairs of opposed journal-openings onejournalcpening of a pair being nonround, and flat metal card-carrierbars having their ends inserted in and slidable in saidjOtll'IlEtl-OPGDlIlgS, one extremity of each of said bars being providedwith two portions of reduced width which when engaged with the non-roundjournal-opening permits the bars to rotate and with an intermediateportion of greater width which when engaged with the non-roundjournal-opening holds the bar against rotation.

9. In a card file of the character described having the combination ofav support, a plurality of pairs of opposed journahopenings, one journalopening of a pair being nonround, and flat metal card-carrier barshavingtheir ends inserted in and slidable in said journal-openings, oneextremity of each of said bars being provided with two portions ofreduced width which when engaged with the non-round journal-openingpermits the bar to rotate and with an intermediate portion of greaterwidth which when engaged. with the non-round j ournal opening holds thebar against rotation, and means for preventing accidental longitudinalmovement of a bar when said intermediate portion is engaged with saidnon-round j ournal-openi mg.

10. In a card file of the character described, the combination of asupport. journals arranged in opposed pairs on said support, andcard-carrier bars having their ends inserted in said journals andarranged for both rotary of pairs of opposed journal-openings,

and longitudinal movement relative to said journals whereby individualcards may be offset from the remainder of the cards.

11. In a card file of the character described, the combination of asupport having journals arranged in opposed pairs, card-carrier barshaving their ends inserted in said journals, means for attaching cardsto one side of the bars and for attaching labels to the other side ofthe bars.

12. In a card file of the character described, the combination of asupport, a card-carrier bar arranged to be mounted on the support, apair of tongues on said bar extending in the same direction and a thirdtongue adjacent to the end 01' the bar facing in the opposite direction,and a card having openings through which said first-named tongues extendand having its edge inserted beneath the third tongue.

Signed at Pittsburgh, Pa, this 20th day of June, 1927'.

WVENTWORTH H. SI-IORTLIDGE.

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